Spartans Hover Near Top 20—But Can They Break Through and Dominate This Season?

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AI-assisted summary
• Michigan State basketball is ranked 21st in Jon Rothstein’s preseason poll for the 2025-26 season.
• This ranking places them fifth among Big Ten teams.
• Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, and Oregon are ranked higher than Michigan State within the Big Ten.
• The Spartans’ ranking reflects their potential while acknowledging the unknowns surrounding the team.

Among Big Ten teams, Michigan State is ranked fifth. The Spartans are behind Purdue (No. 1), Michigan (No. 5), UCLA (No. 7) and Oregon (No. 20). Rothstein’s rankings include the top 45 teams in the country, so he also had six Big Ten teams listed below the Spartans on the list: Illinois (No. 22), Wisconsin (No. 23), Ohio State (No. 26), Washington (No. 30), Maryland (No. 35), USC (No. 38) and Nebraska (No. 41).Michigan State basketball landed just outside the top 20 in the latest released preseason poll for the 2025-26 season.Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports released an updated preseason poll for the next college basketball season, and he has the Spartans sitting just outside the top 20. Michigan State came in at No. 21 in the updated poll from Rothstein.

Michigan State’s basketball squad has found itself perched just outside the coveted top 20 in Jon Rothstein’s latest preseason rankings for the 2025-26 season—a spot that both intrigues and teases fans hungry for what’s next. Sitting 21st overall and fifth among an aggressively competitive Big Ten lineup—right behind powerhouses like Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, and Oregon—the Spartans are embodying a mix of promise and uncertainty. It’s the kind of ranking that hints at potential yet doesn’t shy away from the unknown that next season brings, especially for a team with plenty of questions to answer on the court. As these rankings solidify over the offseason, Michigan State’s placement seems just about right—a launchpad for a squad poised to make waves if all pieces fall into place. LEARN MOREClick on the post below to see the complete updated rankings from Rothstein:

Michigan State has typically been sitting right around this same spot in each of Rothstein’s updated rankings throughout the offseason. This seems like the perfect landing spot for a Spartans team that has plenty of unknowns going into next season, but certainly has the potential to again be a contender in the Big Ten should everything come together.